Bansky's tribute to Bataclan's victims stolen in Paris

Thieves took away a mural by the British street artist in commemoration of 2015 Paris attack victims.

27 Jan 2019 08:08 GMT

Young women take a picture of an artwork in Paris attributed to street artist Banksy that was stolen on Friday [Chesnot/Getty Images]

A mural painted by artist Banksy has been stolen in Paris. The artwork was a tribute to the victims of the Bataclan attack where 90 people were killed in 2015 by the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (ISIL, also known as ISIS).

The image of a veiled female figure in a mournful pose on the theatre door was taken on Friday, a source close to the investigation told LCI television.

"A group of hooded individuals armed with angle grinders cut the painting and took it away in a truck. We are moved today by a deep sense of indignation," the theatre wrote on Twitter.

"Banksy's work, a symbol of remembrance and belonging to everyone - locals, Parisians, citizens of the world - was taken from us."

The Bataclan theatre was stormed by attackers on November 13, 2015, as part of coordinated attacks across Paris that left 130 people dead.

The artwork popped up in Paris last June and has been attributed to the reclusive British street artist. Other artworks by Banksy were vandalised soon after they were put up, while others were protected by screens.

Banksy, whose identity is known to only a handful of friends, caused a sensation in October when one of his paintings began shredding itself, just after selling for $1.4m.

The artist said he had secretly built a shredder into the outsize gilt frame of the picture, activating it as the auction closed.